


The Solar Queen

by spacesix2 (spacesix)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Medieval, M/M, Mad King Ryan Haywood, Solar Queen Gavin Free, Trans Gavin Free, mild body horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 14:21:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11602431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacesix/pseuds/spacesix2
Summary: Falling in love with a god in this age is nothing special. Getting a god to fall in love with you in return, though, is absolutely something special.





	The Solar Queen

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Ryan remembers the day he first encountered Gavin. He was thirteen years old, riding his horse across the countryside in hunt of wild game while his father was having a meeting with the royal court, when he stumbled across a cottage he’d never seen on his route before. When the owner opened the door to greet him just as he was about to knock, the demands as to why there was an unregistered property in the kingdom died on his lips. It was a boy; one not much younger than himself; who had eyes as brilliant a green as the fields of grass in springtime, and wheat colored hair that Ryan hoped felt as soft as it looked, and tanned skin that seemed to radiate warmth even from the distance between them. He was the most beautiful person Ryan had ever met. They ended up chatting over lunch and tea with the easiness of old friends, and parting ways that evening with a promise to meet again next week. 

And they did it again the next week. 

And the next one. 

And the one after that. 

And the one after that. 

Ryan found himself absolutely infatuated. 

Gavin was bright and happy and smart as a whip, tending his small farm and trading the bountiful crop of sunflowers and corn for things to tinker with in the market square. Ryan showed him one day how to build small machines and energy containers from spare mechanical parts. A few meetings later, Gavin showed him how to use copper and mirrors to take the light from the sun and put it in those containers to use in place of coal. Ryan complained to him how he couldn’t get his fires hot enough to melt the steel he needed for a project. Gavin showed him how to get his fires hot enough to melt even tungsten as if it were common knowledge. 

They continued to meet at least once every week for years. If they had to meet at night, they would lie in the grass and stare up at the heavens with Gavin rambling on and on about the stars and the planets and cooing at the moon as it drifted with the hours, and Ryan would happily listen. If they met in the day, they would sit by the lake and share a meal and talk and Gavin would offer his (mostly absurd) solutions to Ryan’s concerns about his training to be king. 

Ryan brought up the topic of marriage on the night before his twenty-first birthday, sitting in front of Gavin’s fireplace with the boy curled into his shoulder beside him and a winter storm raging outside. 

“The court wishes to marry me off within the year, now that my father is old and it’s likely I’ll be inheriting the crown soon.” Gavin hummed his acknowledgement, and Ryan looked pained. “You know I would choose you in a heartbeat, Gavin. I’ve loved you and only you for years, but they say I need someone who can give me legitimate heirs. I need to continue the bloodline if I want the kingdom to continue after me.” There was a long, tense silence until Gavin finally set his tools down and looked up at him. 

“You can tell your court that there is one Gavin Free, who lives out in the countryside,” He kicked his leg over Ryan’s to straddle his lap, giving him a chaste kiss, “who is very much in love with, and loved by, the Crown Prince Ryan Haywood,” he pulled Ryan’s hands from his sides and kissed each of his palms before setting them on his waist, “and could very well bear his children, should the duty come of him.” 

Ryan was stunned into silence for a minute as he looked up at Gavin, who’s blush couldn’t be hidden even by the tint of the fire and who wore the most hopeful smile imaginable. “You mean to tell me…that I could have you as my queen? If I wished?” 

Gavin’s smile widened to a grin. “I would be honored if you did, Ryan.” 

Ryan rolled them forward, pinning Gavin to the ground beneath him, and kissed him. “I do.” They laughed, and kissed again. 

…

They had been wed for barely a three months when Gavin revealed his true self. Ryan was heading back to their bedchambers to see Gavin after being pulled aside for a meeting, and as he approached he was expecting more of something out of his more private fantasies, not the reality in front of him. His queen was stood in the hall outside of their room holding one of their personal guardsmen up by his neck in the air, his eyes glowing bright red and the hems of his clothing starting to visibly singe. “Say it one more time for me, love. I dare you.” His voice was deathly sinister, but still the guard said nothing, _couldn’t_ say anything. Gavin gave him a cursory glance and huffed, and the guard was nothing more than a pile of ash smeared along the stones. Ryan took a cautious step forward after a minute. 

“…Gavin?” 

The other man whirled towards him, eyes widening when he realized that Ryan must have seen, or at least heard, everything. “He-Ryan-it’s not what you think, Ryan. I-”

“Gavin, what’s going on? What was that? What are you?” Ryan took another step with his hands held out in front of him cautiously. The other man just took a step back each time he tried to get closer. 

“You weren’t supposed to see that. Not yet. I-” Gavin schooled his face into solemn blankness, removing all of the fear and panic that had just been there, “I’m sorry, Ryan.” 

He clapped his hands once and there was a brilliant flash of light. 

When Ryan’s vision returned a few moments later, he found himself standing alone in the hall at a complete loss for what to do next. 

…

The kingdom was locked in battle again, and this time they were losing. Badly. It had been almost a two years since the Queen had last been seen, and the King had refused to take on another suitor until his first love was found. In his state of desperation, he grew careless; His focuses shifted away from the people, and it left them defenseless to the reign of terror that was sweeping the continent. Geoff’s and Jack’s lands had already fallen. Michael and Lindsay had just finished their battle and were exhausted of both able warriors and supplies. No one had heard from Jeremy or Trevor in almost a month, and they could only hope the two had fled in time. They had no allies left who could help. 

Edgar had Ryan’s men pinned in the canyon, and there was nothing left to do but surrender their lives, or surrender the kingdom. Ryan took a step away from the group and dropped his sword. He was about to get on his knees and offer his neck to the opposing king as he drew nearer, but suddenly there was a flash of light, and a figure was stood beside him. 

Ryan almost cried when he realized that the light could only mean that his queen had returned at long last. But yet, this was not the Gavin he remembered. This Gavin was a monster. A monster that had skin charred black and cracked open and bleeding heat and light like lava. A monster that had a head of fire, and eyes so completely consumed by molten red that no white could be seen, and smoke and embers pouring out of its mouth at it screamed in rage at the man responsible for the raze of its land. It stepped between Ryan and the opposing army, forcing them to retreat back if they didn’t want to be burned. They were anyway. The monster —Gavin, Ryan reminded himself— swept its arm forward toward the enemy, and blinding white fire engulfed every one of them. The roar of the blaze and the unholy screams of those consumed by it resounded across the canyon for what felt like an eternity, but was really mere seconds. There was nothing but scorched earth left when the flames were summoned away. 

The figure turned to Ryan’s group, then, and slowly morphed back into its human form. The flames on its head receded to form a windswept hair held back by thorny, golden circlet, and its skin knitted back together as the black turned to tan. Gavin was there, smiling his mischievous smile with a dangerous glint still in his eyes and dressed only in a smoldering white gown. Ryan knelt reverently, bowing low with a fist curled to his heart. “All hail Gavin Free: God of the Sun, Bringer of the Days, Patron of Fire, as he walks among us” He called out, and the rest of the knights who could followed suit, dropping their weapons and bowing their foreheads to the dirt with their arms outstretched. 

Gavin stepped forward and knelt down in front of the king, “Come on now, Ryan, is prostration any way to greet your husband?” He took Ryan’s hands in his own and drew him back up to stand before turning to the others. “You may rise as well. As your king said, I walk among you. My presence has never been unfamiliar.” 

They all stood and stared at him in awe until Ryan broke the silence, sounding close to tears. “Gavin, you…you’re really back. Where have you been all this time?” 

“I was called back for a while, but now you’re stuck with me for good. Surely you can’t have missed me that much?” 

Ryan pulled him into a desperate embrace and buried his face in the boy’s hair, inhaling deeply. “You have no idea how long I’ve been looking for you.” 

Gavin hugged him back just as tight, before tilting his head up and kissing him sweetly. “Let’s go home, Ryan.” 

The victorious cheers of their army were deafening as they echoed through the cliffs. 

…

Ryan was in love. 

He loved the way that Gavin could almost always be seen around the city playing with the children, putting on shows of magic, and inviting others to join in on silly pranks and games even after the festival commemorating Edgar’s defeat and the Queen’s return had ended. He loved his infectious smile and charisma and laughter that spread like a virus through the people wherever he went. 

He loved the way that Cheerful Gavin could so easily be replaced with Serious Gavin, and the way that he could strike terror into the hearts of those before him. He loved how his queen was not so dissimilar to him: unafraid to show his powers to the ones who displeased him either through a quick flash of his eyes or a spark of fire dancing along his fingertips. He also loved just as much how he was the opposite side of the coin: he would meet all the people’s audiences with care and concern and provide for those who needed his help the most, always attempting to find peace before turning to force. 

He loved how Gavin seemed almost to glow during sex, how his eyes turned the color of liquid gold and his body burned _just_ on the edge of too hot for comfort as he screamed Ryan’s name and shook apart in his arms. He loved when the tears evaporated from the heat of his flushed cheeks and when he cooled into the soft warmth of embers as they held each other afterward. 

He loved how Gavin’s spirit could be tamed into that subtle glow just as easily as it could flare with the force of a thousand wildfires. He loved how his vengeance came as strong and blinding fast as his forgiveness, and how his days of solemn silence were as powerful as his moments of loud brashness and ferocity. He loved how Gavin’s wide range of rapid emotions were not a weakness, were never even questioned as such. 

He loved how freely Gavin loved everyone, how freely Gavin loved _him_ ; loved his ruthlessness, his intelligence, his fierce protectiveness, his willingness to do whatever it took to do what he felt was necessary. Gavin loved every one of his shortcomings just as much as he loved his strengths. 

Gavin was passion, life, love, joy, and energy. He was power, rage, danger, and pure unbridled wrath. He was both stoic and approachable, wild and soft, energetic and timid. He was the Sun incarnate, and his life’s eternal light kept back the dark clutches of insanity that prowled the edges of his King’s psyche. Ryan was taken with every part of him. The people adored him. 

Ryan knew that Gavin had him wrapped around his little finger. Ryan also knew the god was twined around his just as tightly. He was the people’s Mad King, and Gavin was their Solar Queen. Together, they ruled with an iron fist. 

**Author's Note:**

> catch me at spaceholts.tumblr.com


End file.
